Why does he even try? Poor foolish Ivan! He keeps coming back for Marya Morevna. It's easy work for me to get her back from him. Just ask my steed. Ask him how fast he can run to catch them! He'll tell you: "It is possible to sow wheat, to wait till it grows up, to...
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Flying Horse
I would like to return home to my stable in the heavens. It's on top of a high mountain, and twelve flying horses live there, including my twin brother. They are guarded and cared for by an old woman. The horses are sleek and majestic, except for my twin. At first...
Cat Spirit of the Mountain
I am the Spirit of the Mountain. This is MY mountain. I leave the villagers in peace so long as they supply me with my annual meal of one young maiden. This year, they have fastened her to a large cask that stands in a forest temple. I have been eagerly awaiting this...
Devil with the Red Feather
Defeat, Possession, Underworld
I'm sorry to say, things didn't go tickety-boo in the graveyard last night. I'd come to take the soul of a hard-hearted farmer who never did any good with his money. When I came whistling in (like the evil wind I am), who did I find at the grave but two scoundrels!...
Devil Who Claims a Soul
According to popular opinion, the Devil (oui, c'est moi) steals souls, but permit me to change your impression. I merely claim the souls that are already mine. Take, for instance, the innkeeper. I have been keeping an eye on him for some time. I employed three...
Princess Who Serves a Soldier
I kept having the same dream that a little black dwarf came into my room and carried me to the house of a soldier. He was angry with my father for dismissing him after years of faithful service. He made me do everything he commanded, and then at dawn, when the cock...
King with Apple Trees
Possession, Protection, Retribution
There is nothing I love better than my apple trees. When harvest time comes, the apples are red as blood, and so heavy that the branches hang to the ground, near to breaking. No apple falls until I do the harvesting, and if anyone picks an apple before its time,...
Bird Witch
Consumption, Enchantment, Possession
I am what you might call a collector of birds. Yes, that's it. I have seven thousand cages in my castle, each containing a single bird—rare birds, all of them, rarer than you can possibly imagine. I eat them sometimes, and I keep them if they sing pretty songs. The...
Evil Magician Ismenor
Enchantment, Manipulation, Possession
When the queen came to the tower, I turned her into a marble statue. Ha! I must say, I'm inspired by the pretty ornament. It will serve to mark the place where her precious king is imprisoned. I think I'll go to the Isle of Swans and turn all the queen's people into...
Hide-and-Seek King
I put up a sign proclaiming that if any man can find my daughter within eight days, he will have her for his wife. If he fails, I will have his head. Needless to say, I have quite a collection of heads. No one will ever find my daughter. I've hidden her in my palace,...
Doorkeeper
You will find me behind a rock door under the ridge of the giant's mountain. If you knock on my rocky wall, I will come out with sparks flying from my eyes and nose. I guard the tax the giant collects from the little people. Ask for no more than you can carry. If you...
Iron Castle
Enchantment, Possession, Power
I am made of iron, and I hold all the wizard's possessions. I have recently received an army of men who have turned to stone. On the wizard's command, the soldiers froze. One was caught in the act of running away, another was brandishing a sword, and another was...
Witch of Albatroz
Mine is the castle of Albatroz. Woe to the one who disturbs the echoes who sleep here! We do not encourage guests. There's a commotion outside. Someone is blowing a horn and knocking on the door. He's shouting, "Is there anyone home? Anyone who will give a knight some...
Old Fairy Lagree
Fairer-than-a-Fairy! How dare the king give his child that audacious name. "Fairer-than-a-Fairy." Bah! It is an affront to all fairies. It falls to me, as head of the tribe, to make the girl's life as miserable as possible, and to conceal her from the eyes of men. I...
Sleeping Dragon
Force, Possession, Power, Refusal
Now that I've captured the flower queen's daughter, I can sleep in peace. Everything's under control. In a year's time, I'll wake and throw my weight around, just to remind everyone who's in charge. Then I'll go back to sleep for another year. In time, people will...
Raging Dame Gothel
I separated the child from the evils of the world. I gave her everything! And how does she thank me, wretched girl? She lets a man into the tower. Haaah! The worm's gotten into the apple. She's no good to me. I chopped off her hair and cast her away to the desert. Now...
Demon Wind
Envy, Force, Possession, Power
At the crack of midnight, I flew out of the snuff box and spoke to the one-legged toy soldier who was staring at the paper dancer in front of the castle. "Don't look at things that aren't intended for the likes of you!" I shouted. Then I knocked him over so their eyes...